Milei officials hint government will seek repeal of abortion law

President Javier Milei's government would like to repeal Argentina's historic abortion law and may seek to do so before the year is finished.

During a press conference on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni responded to a question from a reporter by saying that while the president would like to repeal the law, Argentina's economic crisis is the government's priority.

The spokesperson indicated that the administration’s primary areas of focus include economic issues, such as inflation, to “avoid catastrophe and try to make these months pass as quickly as possible.”

According to Adorni, repealing access to abortion is a debate that may follow.

“It’s not a priority now to repeal abortion, but we can suspect that, at some point, it will be debated,” Adorni stated.

However, Treasury Attorney Rodolfo Barra co-authored a column in Infobae the same day that said the government “wants the abortion law to be repealed this year.”

Earlier this week, President Milei declared 2024 to be the year "of the Defence of Life, Liberty and Property," ordering all government documents to carry the phrase.

Women's rights campaigners quickly speculated about the possibility of the law being repealed by the Milei administration.

Argentina's IVE abortion law was sanctioned by Congress on December 30, 2020 and promulgated on January 14, 2021 under Milei's predecessor-in-office, Alberto Fernández.

It establishes the right to abortion in all cases up to and including week fourteen. It also maintains the validity of the right to abortion in cases of rape and risk to the life of the mother without time limit.

During a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier in month, Milei referred to “the bloody abortion agenda,” and criticised feminist movements for their potential to upend liberal, capitalist Western nations.

– TIMES/NA